Following the death of his mother when he was 16 years old, J Brown moved to New York and eventually, in 1995, began to reconcile her death through yoga. Having practised Jivamukti, Ashtanga and Iyengar yoga, he settled on a therapeutic orientation inspired by Desikachar and Krishnamacharya. He went on to coin the phrase “gently is the new advanced” and opened his own yoga studio in Brooklyn, geared towards feeling well and lessening pain. He now lives in Pennsylvania and travels the world teaching his signature style.

In this episode of triyoga talks, we look back at 2018 and get J’s views on some of this year’s key events in the world of yoga. Topics under the spotlight include whether or not the yoga community needs an alliance and, if so, what role it plays, the commodification of yoga through social media, and how further outreach could help make yoga more accessible. J also shares his thoughts on yoga in the age of #metoo, yoga’s role in social consciousness and whether recent scandals have change the role of the guru.

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